1
as in occultism
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means
… an alchemy that changed metals rarer than gold into elements more baneful than lead.—
James Gleick
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in magic
the power to do something impressive in a way that seems mysterious or supernatural
They marveled at the digital alchemy that turns lines of computer code into a beautiful user interface.
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alchemy
As more of this alchemy, Kong cited projects built to break down temperature-sensitive materials, or deploy nanosensors to surveil environments.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The show achieves that alchemy, finally, when the plot ceases and everyone comes out for the double encore, continuing to carry on through those ’70s hits in those ’70s jumpsuits, just because the audience is happy to stand up and keep cheering and singing along.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
As far as celebrity romances go, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have got that special alchemy.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Here’s a look back at the alchemy that got us to this era.
—Lisa France, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alchemy
John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The show achieves that alchemy, finally, when the plot ceases and everyone comes out for the double encore, continuing to carry on through those ’70s hits in those ’70s jumpsuits, just because the audience is happy to stand up and keep cheering and singing along.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
As far as celebrity romances go, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have got that special alchemy.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Here’s a look back at the alchemy that got us to this era.
—Lisa France, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alchemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alchemy
Noun
-
Pynchon’s daunting masterpiece, a white whale of a Great American Novel, is stuffed with pun-tastic songs, rocket science and World War II-era occultism.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The article, which contains little that would be unfamiliar to anyone conversant with some of the more influential twentieth-century texts on yoga and occultism, concludes with accounts of meditations Crowley allegedly undertook between January and April 1901.—
Stewart Home
August 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The TheraFace Depuffing Wand works its temperature-changing magic to banish puffiness and add brightness.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Harry Potter Quidditch Practice Apart from watching the films and rereading the books, another way to relive the magic of Harry Potter is by recreating iconic scenes via Lego builds.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Can Printemps New York recapture the commercial sorcery of glamorous department stores like Wanamaker’s, Barney’s, and Bloomingdale’s?—
Martin Filler,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Sep. 2025
-
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The portrayal of witchcraft in the 21st century is expansive and multi-dimensional.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The headphones even managed to reveal details in fairly busy tracks such as Crumplepenny – from the multi-dimensional wizardry of Ed Wynne (Ozric Tentacles) – that I'd not previously registered during more casual listening.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Off the deep end – Dive into the thrilling ocean sequence and learn about the challenges of shooting on open water, the one-of-a-kind gimbal used to toss around the Essex and Mariposa, and the VFX wizardry that brought the Mosasaurus and Spinosaurs to life.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alchemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alchemy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share